Nowadays we are producing more and more rubbish. Why do you think this is happening? What can governments do to help reduce the amount of rubbish produced?

Band 9 essay sample

The amount of rubbish produced by an average household has increased dramatically over the last few decades. There are several reasons behind this alarming development.

The first one, of course, is the improvement in living standards. Actually there is a significant increase in the number of households with disposable income. This increases consumption and unfortunately this also increases the production of rubbish. Earlier people used to cook food with the ingredients they sourced from their backyard. Now they buy packaged food from supermarkets. After the consumption of the food, this packaging will land in the trash bin and from there it will be transferred to landfills. Now when people feel thirsty, they just buy a bottle of water without worrying about the future of the empty bottle.

Another reason behind the excessive production of rubbish is the cheap availability of plastic. Using this versatile material it is now possible to produce almost any kind of wrappers and containers. Unfortunately, plastic is not biodegradable. Once it reaches the soil, it remains there for millions of years. Rubbish causes several health problems. It pollutes the air, water and soil. It affects the productivity of the soil.

The government and the public can take several measures to reduce the amount of rubbish they produce. People need to be aware that by producing more and more rubbish, they are hurting their health and the planet. The government needs to restrict the production of plastic. Hefty fines should be imposed on shops that offer plastic carry bags. It is also important to sensitise people about responsible consumption and the importance of reducing the production of rubbish.

To conclude, higher levels of income encourage people to consume more and as a consequence produce more waste. However, the government and the public can still save the planet from the frightening amount of rubbish by acting more responsibly.

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